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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Provincial Emergency Measures officials say river levels in the province have crested and are on the decline following flooding from this week's rain and wind storm. Spokesman Karl Wilmot says while the flood waters have receded in most areas, the St. George and Bonny River areas are still flooded.

He says St. George is still in the impact and response phase and he says over the next day they hope to get people on the ground in there.

Reports from EMO officials say all the dams in the St. Stephen and St. George area are holding.The high volume of water causing great concern among the locals because of previous flooding.The province assuring residents that water levels are going down and this includes the Magadavic River, the St. Croix River and the Digdeguash River.Recovery mode starts tomorrow as work crews in St. Stephen will begin going into homes to start inspections.To report damage and register for the Disaster Financial Assistance Program, call 1-888-298-8555 or clickhere.

The Department of Transportation informing us that Route 1 is open in the Manor Road area near St. George but, it is reduced to one lane.Drivers are reminded to use caution because there is still some water on the road.To avoid delays, commercial traffic heading westbound to the U.S. should take an alternate route to the border crossing at Houlton, Maine if they can.

Even if you don't smoke, you could be in danger of contracting lung cancer and it has nothing to do with tobacco.

The New Brunswick Lung Association is warning about the buildup of Radon gas in your home which emanates from uranium.

The President and C-E-O of the Lung Association Dr. Barb McKinnon tells CHSJ News you can't smell Radon and as many as 1 in five homes around the province may have it but you're not completely helpless.

Radon is easy to test for. A device the size of a hockey puck is placed at the lowest part of your house where you live and after 3 months is sent away to a lab for testing.

The city has to get after the provincial government to address the inadequate ambulance service we're receiving.

That criticism being voiced by John Campbell who was one of the candidates in last Monday's Ward 3 byelection.

He tells CHSJ News of seeing two ambulances in separate calls having to make U turns and follow the fire trucks that were going to the same calls which tells him the ambulances were going the wrong way.

Campbell says Saint John seems to be unique when it comes to duplicating emergency response and it's costing taxpayers in their pocketbooks. He maintains because Saint John is an industrial city, it's even more critical its ambulance service be top notch as compared to other places with less industry.

Water levels have peaked in Charlotte country meaning the situation is stabilizing after severe flooding this week.
Andrew Holland of Emergency Measures tells CHSJ News residents can report any damage to their properties to the province.

Holland says as of last night over 100 people had called Service New Brunswick to register their damage which will trigger the process for health and safety inspections.

The Service New Brunswick toll free line is 1-888-298-8555.
For information on road conditions, phone supports and to report flood damage,
click here.

The tax rate in Hampton will be the same next year at $1.25 per 100 dollars of assessment. Mayor Ken Chorley tells CHSJ News the town's bottom line was helped by revenue from the gas tax and 4.2 million dollars in new construction.

He expects residential development to copntinue growing with alot of people in the town commuting to jobs in Saint John and Sussex.One big challenge facing the town in the future, which was mandated by the province, is to find a central water source. The search is ongoing and Chorley jokes the town could use someone with a devining rod to find it.

If you have to fill up today you'll be paying a bit less for gas after the weekly setting. Self serve regular is going for 107.1 a litre in the city. That represents a price drop of over a cent. Diesel is just slightly cheaper at 114.7. No change with heating oil. It remains at a dollar a litre for the second week in a row.

The M-L-A in Charlotte County seeing first hand the devastation of flooding in the St. George area.

Rick Doucet of Charlotte and the Isles was able to tour the area by boat and help deliver groceries to stranded residents near Bonney River.

Doucet tells CHSJ News the holidays are a terrible time of year to have a flood. He calls it heart wrenching.

Doucet says seeing the damage is absolutely incredible and he's amazed at the good spirits among the people and the spirit of co-operation he witnessed as the flood victims try to get through a crisis but adds the government has to step up the plate with disaster assistance.

A car fire yesterday afternoon along Highway One at Lepreau. The car was fully engulfed in flames when Musquash firefighters arrived to put it out. The fire was reported by an ambulance crew travelling westbound on the highway. No one was injured and the cause has not been determined yet.